With the coronavirus stats going in the right direction, all of us at C&G Newspapers look forward to resuming publication of the St. Clair Shores Sentinel and Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle on May 27th. All other C&G newspapers will begin publishing on June 10th (Advertiser-Times on June 24th). In the meantime, continue to find local news on our website and look for us on Facebook and Twitter.

Attention Readers: Find Us in Your Mailbox Soon

With the coronavirus stats going in the right direction, all of us at C&G Newspapers look forward to resuming publication of the St. Clair Shores Sentinel and Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle on May 27th. All other C&G newspapers will begin publishing on June 10th (Advertiser-Times on June 24th). In the meantime, continue to find local news on our website and look for us on Facebook and Twitter.

Festival-goers flock to Mount Clemens for inaugural event

Downtown Mount Clemens is booming with carnival activity, including face painting by local artists Chantel Christ, left, and Carol Diehl.

MOUNT CLEMENS — The music, the smell of everyone’s favorite carnival fare and the vibrant colors and lights of the carnival rides are prevalent along Main Street in downtown Mount Clemens today as the Summer Magic Festival moved into second gear.

Trina Blackman and her daughter Melanie of St. Clair Shores spent the second day of the four-day festival on June 26 trying their luck at some of the myriad games (Melanie won a puzzle ball), and enjoying the popular carnival treat, the funnel cake.

“This is really nice,” said Trina. “We plan to come back on Sunday with her dad.”

Melanie said her favorite part of the festival so far has been “all the rides.”

There are plenty of tents lining the adjoining streets in the downtown area, with businesses and organizations promoting themselves and joining in on the fun. Local businesses and restaurants expected a nice boost in sales thanks to the increased event traffic.

Diane Kubik, owner of Max and Ollie’s Boutique, said the first night of the festival on June 25 was quiet, but even with the competition from Stars and Stripes at Freedom Hill, she believes a lot of people will still come down during the weekend to enjoy this smaller festival that is offering an array of eclectic wares.

“I think people we’ll really like it here,” she said. “There’s so much more to see.”

And hear as 38 bands are scheduled to perform over the weekend, including former Ratt lead vocalist Stephen Pearcy, The Babys, Jack Russell’s Great White and Terry Lee Goffee, known nationally as “The Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute.”

Friday is also the Riversight and Sound Concert at the riverfront gazebo. Local band Eastside Westside will perform at 6 p.m., and Magic Bus takes the stage at 8 p.m. The much-anticipated fireworks show, presented by the Wayne and Joan Webber Foundation, at dusk on the riverfront. Zambelli’s is putting on the 30-minute show.

Wristbands for the carnival are $15 the first day, and $20 the rest of the weekend

The Summer Magic Festival, presented by Shelbvision, will close at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, and continues from 11 a.m.-midnight on Saturday, and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sunday.